Make it a Magical Running Adventure the Entire Family will Enjoy!Run the most enchanting race on earth - The Walt Disney World® Marathon and Weekend of Events: January 5-8, 2012. What better way to marry family fun and your runner’s sense of adventure?

The weekend of January 5th through the 8th has plenty of magic to offer the entire family, including the Walt Disney World® Marathon and Marathon Relay, Half Marathon, Goofy’s Race and Half Challenge, Disney Family Fiesta 5K, Disney Kids’ Races, and more! Join thousands in the quest for a fairytale race, which will certainly be delivered in the form of high-performance race organization, when you register for the Walt Disney World® Marathon Weekend presented by CIGNA, for runners of all ages and abilities.

Walt Disney World® Resort is synonymous with fun, adventure, fairytales and magic. It is a bright icon in American culture and delivers dreams to kids and adults alike. Wishes are granted in this magical place, and you will be whisked away by the spectacular events runDisney and CIGNA have lined up for you on this fabulous racing weekend. Families and friends in the thousands will be flocking to Orlando, Florida to hit the sparkling streets of Disney’s theme parks and participate in this unique racing experience. Be prepared for a racing weekend that is expertly organized and directed – from pre-race planning to post-event celebrations. There are amazing amenities, terrific prizes, goodies, new friends to be made; and there will be star treatment for all runners.

Enjoy running along a course pulsing with fun-for-all Disney entertainment and the encouragement of Mickey, Donald, Goofy, Chip 'n Dale and more! There will be so much entertainment and fan support along these enchanted avenues, this will quickly become your favorite place on earth for running! These events provide a high-voltage weekend filled with fun and competition for runners of all abilities. This racing weekend caters to families, kids and the young at heart. So pack up the caravan, or fly with your best friends, and commit to this thrilling on-foot adventure!

The Walt Disney World® Marathon
The full marathon will be held on Sunday, January 8th, 2012. The start and finish lines are at Epcot®, where there will be plenty of celebration before and after the race. Marathon runners traverse the delightful 26.2-mile course that winds through four theme parks. The course Starts at Epcot®, where fascinating discoveries of science and technology meet in a remarkable combination of amusement park and world’s fair. You can’t miss Future World or Spaceship Earth! Take note of the World Showcase, which features interesting countries such as Japan, Italy, Norway, and more!

Runners continue through Magic Kingdom®, the heart and soul of Walt Disney World with its glittery sidewalks and beautifully landscaped grounds. Here you will find Main Street, USA, Adventureland, Frontierland, Liberty Square, Fantasyland and Tomorrowland. You will get to run through the Cinderella Castle (ladies, perhaps Prince Charming is on the other side?), and you will discover that the Magic Kingdom is not such a small world after all!

Marathoners are in for a wild ride as they continue this wonderful journey to Disney’s Animal Kingdom® Theme Park, with acres of savanna and wildlife preserve. Home to more than 1,700 animals from 250 species and sprawling across 500 acres of lush landscape, Disney's Animal Kingdom® theme park is the largest animal-themed park in the world!

Next stop is Disney’s Hollywood Studios®, a re-creation of Hollywood’s golden years, complete with art deco storefronts, palm trees, pastel buildings and soda fountains. Runners definitely receive 5-star treatment on this course with plenty of aid stations and sideline support. You will be the star of the show as you sprint into your exhilarating marathon finish back at Epcot® with inspirational music for the home stretch, and the highly coveted Mickey Mouse medal as your prize!

Marathon Relay
This is the most exciting year for the Walt Disney World® Marathon as 2012 is the inaugural year for the Marathon Relay. The Walt Disney World® Marathon course has been split in two for 2-person relay teams, so each person runs a half marathon. Chip and Dale, Donald Duck's old adversaries, will be hosting this inaugural event! So team up with a running buddy and decide who runs which leg: the first leg starts at Epcot® and travels through Magic Kingdom® Park to the exchange zone where there will be a separate half marathon finish for the first leg of the relay team. The second leg will then run through Disney's Animal Kingdom® Park, Disney's Hollywood Studios, and back to Epcot® to the finish line. The relay is a great way to experience full the marathon course with only 13.1 to cover. And when you sprint through the finish of your leg, we guarantee you will be inspired to run the full marathon in 2013!

Marathon Event Highlights: There will be on-course Disney entertainment, event weekend transportation for Walt Disney World® Resort guests, a Champion® unisex long-sleeved marathon tech shirt, a Mickey Mouse finisher medal, an official race program guide, a goody bag, on-course and post-race refreshments, the ChronoTrack D-tag timer, a family reunion area with live entertainment and Disney characters, a personalized results website, and more!

The Walt Disney World® Half Marathon
The half marathon will be held on Saturday, January 7th, 2012, and will also start and finish at Epcot®. The half-marathon is the perfect distance for those who prefer more celebration time with Mickey Mouse! The half-marathon has become the most popular distance in America, beating out the 10K as more and more folks turn to running as a form of exercise and competitive sport. Some will run the 13.1 as a test as they increase mileage toward completing the full marathon, but for some 13.1 IS a marathon (13.1 miles is nothing to sneeze at!). Some running junkies – approximately 6,000 of them – will take the Goofy Challenge and use the half marathon as a “warm-up” before lacing up the following day for the full 26.2-mile distance.

This marks the 15th anniversary of the Half Marathon race and Disney is celebrating with a special edition commemorative Donald Duck medal for all participants. The 13.1-mile course will lead you through Magic Kingdom® Park on your way to a thrilling finish at Epcot®. Half marathoners will take their mark and draw their inspiration from Donald Duck as they step into a world of fantasy and time travel, fueled by the power of imagination. Join other half marathoners in this exciting race as Disney celebrates Donald's 15 years of running the half marathon during Walt Disney World® Marathon Weekend!

Goofy's Race and a Half Challenge
Goofy’s Race and Half Challenge event is for the brave! Join over 6,000 running fanatics as you run the half marathon on Saturday, January 7, 2012, and the full marathon on Sunday, January 8, 2012. You are certainly going to need the Pasta in the Park Party to fuel this running adventure! Put your endurance to the test and compete in Goofy's Race and a Half Challenge! It’s a total of 39.3-miles in two days of magical running. When you finish both races within the pacing requirements, you will be awarded the coveted Goofy medal in addition to your Donald Duck and Mickey Mouse finisher medals. Now that is something to write home about!

Disney Family Fiesta 5K featuring the Three Caballeros
Get the entire family involved in the fun and fitness of running! The 2012 Family Fiesta 5K will be held on Friday, January 6th and is the perfect way to let everyone get involved in the Disney running fun. This 5K course in the Walt Disney World Resort (starting and finishing at Epcot®) has no shortage of magic and adventure. There's something for everyone featuring the Three Caballeros, where adults, teens and tweens can be a part of this official Walt Disney World® Marathon Weekend event. Participants will receive finishers’ medallions, Disney-themed t-shirts, post-race refreshments, goody bags and more. Experience a 5K course that winds through Epcot® with an unforgettable finish!

Disney Kids' Races
The Kids’ Races will be held throughout the racing weekend on both Friday, January 6, and Saturday, January 7, 2012. All Kids’ Races will be held at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Track & Field Complex. Disney Kids' Races will get your little ones warmed up for the Walt Disney World® Marathon Weekend. Sign up for any of the Kids' Dashes or the Mickey Mile to participate in this festival of fun! Children ages 13 and under can participate in these races and earn their very own finisher medallion.

Disney Kids' Races Age Groups
• Kids' Dashes
• 12 months and under - Diaper Dash for crawlers
• 1-3 years old - 100m dash
• 4-6 years old - 200m dash
• 7-8 years old - 400m dash
• Mickey Mile (Friday, January 6 only) - Open to all children 13 years old & under

Pasta in the Park Party
Join in the camaraderie: meet fellow runners and have a unique carbo-loading dining experience on Thursday, January 5, 2012, with a buffet-style dinner from 6:30pm to 8:30pm; the “IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth” show will be at 9:00pm, located at the World ShowPlace Pavilion inside Epcot®. There will be music, Disney character appearances, and a menu that would make Ursula the sorceress-sea-witch jealous! This event is a great way to relax, eat terrific food, and mingle with other runners before the big race. Start off your 2012 Walt Disney World® Marathon Weekend by joining the magical Pasta in the Park Party!

Health and Fitness Expo
The ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex is certainly worth the trip alone! This 220-acre facility is host to more than 200 amateur and professional events each year. This three-day Expo is a real crowd pleaser complete with celebrity runner appearances, seminars on training, racing, nutrition, and the latest in running tips and strategies and fitness equipment. There will be speakers and panelists from the world of running as part of the Speaker Series, and don’t miss out on the newest Official Walt Disney World® Marathon Weekend Merchandise, as well as the latest in running apparel and accessories.

Note: All runners are required to attend Disney's Health & Fitness Expo for race number and Packet Pick-Up. You will need to download your personalized race number pick-up card/waiver form online and bring it with you to Packet Pick-Up at the Expo when it becomes available online before the event. For the Expo schedule, please visit: http://espnwwos.disney.go.com/events/rundisney/wdw-marathon/index?page=schedule

A Magical Welcome
Walt Disney World spans 47 square miles and is twice the size of Manhattan! It contains four major theme parks plus water parks, and other fabulous attractions. Although a visit there figures prominently on every kid’s wish list, you don’t have to be a kid to feel the magic of Disney! Walt Disney World offers many decidedly grown-up amenities, including golf courses, spas, fine hotels, restaurants and a buzzing nightlife. Orlando is easy to get to with an abundance of flights from all around the country. It is located just two hours from Tampa to the west, St Augustine to the northeast; it is within one hour of the Kennedy Space Center and many soft-sand, crystal water Atlantic beaches. The area has many other interesting offerings including nature and wildlife viewing, historic and cultural activities, and other recreational activities that are a part of Florida’s unique vibrancy.

Register Today
Registration is still open for the Walt Disney World® Marathon Weekend Races! All races are filling up quickly so don’t delay, you won’t want to miss out on the magic of this unique running adventure.…And They Ran Happily Ever After…
Who knew running could be so much fun? Bring your best friends, your family, your prince or princess charming! This is a magical adventure that must not be missed. Run with the Disney family and run the race of a lifetime! Whatever your favorite Disney character, you will have plenty of opportunities to greet them along this course. And you will be treated like Disney royalty! So take advantage of the opportunity to blend running a world-class sporting event and enjoying all of the amenities of the world’s number one vacation destination! This is a place - and a race - where dreams really do come true.